In today’s world, we need daily necessities of essential nutrients by consuming a variety of diets, which contain foods rich in nutrients. However, sometimes our food does not provide us with all the necessary nutrients.
So many women consume dietary supplements that contain minerals, herbs or other flora, amino acids, enzymes, and many other ingredients. These supplements come in various forms, such as pills, capsules, drinks, and energy bars.
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Some popular one includes Vitamin D and B12; Minerals such as calcium and iron; Herbs like echinacea and garlic; And products such as glucosamine, probiotics, and fish oil.
There are many situations when you need to consider taking a dietary supplement to prevent chronic diseases or other causes. Some of the reasons why nutritional supplements are necessary for women are:
- If your body is lacking an essential vitamin or mineral, you may need to take supplements that will be recommended by your doctor so that you can correct the deficiency.
- Also, if you have a dietary restriction, ie, you eat a limited diet for several reasons, then you are not getting enough amount of vitamins or minerals. Therefore you may need to add different foods so that your dietary restriction does not restrict the entry of essential nutrients into your body.
- Even during pregnancy, you need to consult your gynecologist or obstetrician about the various pre-pregnancy and pregnancy supplements needed to prevent congenital disabilities and promote the health of your newborn. It also contains folic acid, vitamins, etc. which ensure that your child is fit and healthy.
- The next reason that you need to consume a dose is because of growing up. With age, you need to change your calorie requirements, and due to this change, your body may lack most of the necessary nutrients. Therefore, consuming dietary additions will ensure that all nutrients are maintained correctly in your body.
- There are many GI tract diseases and surgeries that affect your body’s ability to absorb essential nutrients. Therefore, during such situations, you need to consult your respective physician who will provide you with the right supplement that your body can absorb, and as such, it will not be short of essential nutrients.
- Also, some medicines may cause a lack of essential nutrients. For example, proton pump inhibitors taken for acid reflux can result in vitamin B12 weakness. Therefore, in such cases, you can discuss your condition and medications with your doctor and take supplements but with a recommendation from them.
Benefits of dietary supplements
- It is possible to get all the nutrients from a balanced diet, but you may not know that you may be deficient with some essential nutrients, and they will provide you with additional nutrients that your body may be lacking. Or sometimes, your body may trigger a deficiency in the case of cancer, diabetes, or chronic diarrhea.
- Supplements are also available as individual nutrients that can be taken in regular doses and can help treat deficiencies such as iron deficiency or prevent a condition such as hypertension.
- It helps eliminate toxins from your body because we are all exposed to viruses due to stress, insufficient sleep, and food toxins. Therefore, to remove toxins and detox your body from these toxins.
- It also provides essential fiber such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes, which is necessary and contains necessary dietary fiber. These fibers can help prevent some diseases like heart diseases and also help in managing constipation.
- Many of them are also good sources of antioxidants, meaning that these are substances that slow down the natural process causing damage to cells and tissues. Therefore, these protective substances provide you with the same benefits as it will provide in your food.
Dietary supplements risk
- Consuming more vitamin K may reduce blood thinning effectiveness. However, vitamin E can increase the action of blood thinners, which can easily lead to injury or bleeding from the nose.
- A high dose of vitamin B6 can also cause nerve damage, and may also reduce the effectiveness of anti-seizure medications, Dilantin, and levodopa, which are used to treat Parkinson’s disease.
- Vitamin A may also cause toxicity from vitamin A used with retinoid acne medicines. Also, vitamin B3 may increase the risk of abnormal breakdown of muscle tissue.
- Apart from this, iron and calcium supplements can also reduce the effectiveness of antibiotics. And intake of vitamin C in high doses can cause nausea and severe diarrhea.
Now that you know about the benefits and risks of taking dietary supplements, there are some things that you need to keep in mind before you start taking:
- The first thing you need to consider is that you need to consult with your respective doctor as they can better advise you with a combination of supplements. Consuming excess without proper combination or proper medicines can cause harmful effects. Therefore, you must discuss your situation before you start taking supplements.
- Also, before you start taking it, you will need to check the product label so that you can know about the ingredients available in excess. You can also learn about the amount of nutrients present and the serving size of the supplement so that you do not consume more than your body needs.
- It would help if you always watched you eat and make sure that vitamins and minerals are being added to your foods. If you are taking it, you should make sure that you are getting all kinds of nutrients. Also, it is expensive to take more than you need, and this can increase the risk of side effects.
- You should also make sure that you avoid overdose, especially in the case of children who are prone to high amounts of vitamins and minerals.
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